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8 Or.no W.IcIy Times, Wedneudy~ January a9~ 1992 Vol. 2 - Seiies 4 Our pioneers may have had few bousehold effects and so our collectibles are simple in design as we view thema now. There were no complex video sets nor computers to operate. However, if there was a shortage of items there often was quantity in food. The land ofthese pioneers was to them a land of "milk and honey". Mrs. Gamsby had made that observation when she walked down over the bill from bler pioneer cabin to dip a pail of cold water from the Orono Creek and to bier pleasant surprise ber pail beld not only the purest of water but two beautiful speckled trout. Suppose we stop for a moment to observe the setting of the "board" or pine harvest table. This is properly called a barvest table. It-is indeed two very wide, white pine boards nailed together by the square or rectanglular iron nails wich bad been individually fasbioned by mhe nearest smit-hy. So collectible nurnber one tôday is the simple barvest table. It is one of the few times brought from the early cabin to still bold the meal for us today i the stone bouse. 1 often wonder what articles bave rested on that board. From collectible numrber- two comes the old iron pepper mill. The pepper corns were put througb a slot at the top and as the wooden handie turned the peppercorns were ground against the fiat side of the mil! and the not s0 fmnely ground pepper was collected at mhe bottom. It seems to bave come out of a mucb smnaller operture at its base. if it was used sparingly, it does not show tbis by its use. In fact it seems well womn attesting to die great need of pepper in those early days. In the winter monmhs storage of the meat, beef; venison, or pork was no problemn but in the sumnier, meat supplies with no refrigeration could only be stored by keeping mhe meat in a salty brine, and even then it was often fiat or tasteless - hence mhe need for- the pepper and tbe grinding of mhe fresb, bot pepper. If mie pepper did nothing else it belped camouflage the tasteless or over salted meat. Since we are looking at the preservation of food for the table we might consider the drying of fruit for the winter storage. Apples were there, tbanks to "Johnny Appleseed," as each se.-ttler's cabin had a tree or two planted close at hand. Since the country was young there were no worms or parasites to blemisb the apple. By mhe sane token there was no need for sprays or fun,-gicides to keep disease at bay. Now preparing enough peeled, cored, and sliced apples for the winter required a lot of peeling and a lot of coring. This is collectible number three. Today it rests beside my pepper mill - just that, - a collectible. But when the machine was in use eacb faîl it neatly pared and cored the apples; and there tbey were, thinly sliced and left to shrivel and dessicate a winters supply of apples, ready to ring out and boil for the inveterate "apple sauce". Had the cabin had -a root cellar the "peeler and corer" migbt neyer have been necessary but root cellars came later. The earlier pioneers were quite sure no root cellar could survive mhe freezing cold of those 'Canadian winters". So along witb our "bastible cake" of an earlier story we can put a beaping bowl of bot apple sauce. There had to be some eating utensils beside mhe table, bence collectible number four. Tbese are the "bone handled" or better described as "horn-handled'" knives and forks. The knives and forks were once again fashioned by the "smithy" and they were cut into the horn or bone. Do you have an early Canadian bone handled knife or fork to add to your collectibles? Forks you could omnit but the knives were a must. Ini the centre of the table sat the ubiquitous stone-ware vinegar jug. The vinegar camne from the pressing of the apples in the fait. A demni-john of apple juice, allowed to ferment and then to turn sour and 'mother" supplied ample refis of the earthenware vinegar jug. At least it should have supplied a winter's supply if "father" had not intercepted the demi-johni of fermented apple cider before it soured or "mothered". 1 arn quite sure that on occasions a second demi-john of fermented cider was set aside just for some festive occasion that father and his friends felt was jus tified. The demi-john is of green glass, and sits just outside EVERY my door. 1 am flot suggesting any festive occasions, - barn raising and husking bees are long gone. But you could take a look at the demi-john, - whoever blew the glass for it certainly had more breath than I had. Besides "demi- johns" have a certain artistic look about them. Does anyone know why the glass was always green in cofour? I almost hesitate to quote these lines of Robbie Burns on "Scotch Drink", but surely nione of this came from any demi-john you knew. "Oie him strong drink until he wink, That's sinking in despair; An 'liquor guid to fire bis bluid, That's prest wi' grief an' care: There let him browse and deep carouse, Wi' bumpers fiowing oer. Till he forgets bis loves or debts, An' minds bis grief no more." Even poor old Robbie Burns must have had somne misgivings about writing on this subject. To assuage his conscience just a little he quoted from the Good Book,, before he penned it. Proverbs:lý Chapter 3 1, verses 6 and 7. "Give strong drink unto hui that is ready to perisb, And wine unto the bitter in soul; Let him drink, and forget bis poverty And remember bis misery no more." Teenage drug and alcohol abuse down Drug and alcohol abuse among teenagers is steadily decreasing according to a recent study by the Addiction Research Foundation. Unfortunately those meens that do drink are drinking more. It is the heavy use of drugs and alcohol that now in of concern. (LERmIGNI! OTHER WEEK Vour hue Box colledtion Es rsidential Blue Box sohedule is chang- in.Starting in February, 1992, collection wiitake place every second week. On your rglrhousehold garbage day, but every other InJaurec household will receive a New 192Blue Box-Collection Schedule, a compact caedrthat clearly outlines the new collection weeks for your area. Please post this information at home for ready reference. This schedule will flot only give youi the "when" of Blue Box recycling, but also the "what" and the "how." New items-telephonie books and corrugated cardboard-can now be collected in municipal Blue Boxes. In order to recycle right, al residents should prepare their recyclables in the simple ways described in the schedule. If you need more information on the schedule change, contact your munlclpalty aft-, THrE TOWN O1QF 623-3379 (Newcastle) i7DU DURHAM REQION A Waste Management Program of the Region of Durham and the municipalities of Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Newcastle, Uxbridge and Scugog. ,DURHAM.~ ;ý. ýCt